Space Manbow
Developer(s)Konami
Publisher(s)Konami
Producer(s)Hiromi Sumida
Naoki Satō
Programmer(s)Ritsushi Sagisaka
Toshiya Adachi
Artist(s)Hiroshi Makitani
Tetsurou Eguchi
Tomiharu Kinoshita
Composer(s)Michiru Yamane
Tsuyoshi Sekito
Yuji Takenouchi
Platform(s)MSX2/MSX2+, Mobile phone
ReleaseMSX2/MSX2+
  • JP: December 21, 1989
Mobile phone
  • JP: September 1, 2006
Genre(s)Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Space Manbow[lower-alpha 1] is a horizontally scrolling shooter developed and published on December 21, 1989 by Konami for the MSX2 and MSX2+ home computers. It was re-released for mobile phones on September 1, 2006; for the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console service on November 24, 2009;[1] on February 19, 2014, for the Wii U; and on July 28, 2015, for the Windows Store (Project EGG). It has never been released outside Japan.

Gameplay

In the game, the player pilots a starship shaped like a mambo fish.[2] There are only two weapon types available throughout the game, which can be powered up through standard pickups. The weapons gradually lose power unless the player makes additional pickups, but the ship is helped by two stationary "options" similar to those found in the Gradius series. The "options" are able to shift so that they alternatively fire in three directions: forward, backward, and towards the top/bottom of the screen.

Development and release

Originally, Space Manbow was intended to be a port of the arcade game Thunder Cross under the working title of Egzart.

Reception

The game was praised for its bright colors and smooth scrolling something the MSX2 particularly struggled with.

Notes

The video game Ganbare Goemon on the Nintendo DS contains an easter egg that lets you play the entire Space Manbow first level if you insert the Game Boy Advance cartridge for the games Kessakusen! Ganbare Goemon 1 & 2.

  1. ↑ Japanese: スペースマンボウ, Hepburn: Supēsu Manbō

References

  1. ↑ Space Manbow Virtual console details
  2. ↑ Kurt Kalata. "Konami Shoot Em Ups: MSX Shooters". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved November 25, 2011.


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